Living bridge

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At 52 meters, the longest surviving bridge world (at Rangthylliang, East Khasi mountains , northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya , 1999)
Double-decker root bridge in the rainiest area in the world (near Nongriat, southern Khasi mountains , Meghalaya, 2011)

A living bridge is a bridge that is formed from living plants or parts of plants as load-bearing elements . Living structures are researched by the Baubotanik , a branch of the building industry . Living bridges can be either natural or man-made; the bridge building material can form roots , tendrils or lianas . Similar to living fences ( hedges ), the material is safe from rotting as long as it is alive. Examples of living bridges can be found in Northeast India and Japan , among others .

to form

In the rainiest region of the world around the town of Cherrapunji in the northeast Indian state of Meghalaya , a tribe of the indigenous people of the Khasi builds and maintains bridges from the aerial roots of the rubber tree (Ficus elastica) in suitable places . Because the six-month rainy season is accompanied by violent storms and earthquakes are more frequent, only flexible structures are suitable for crossing small mountain gorges and valleys in the Khasi Mountains. The abundance of water causes the mountain streams and rivers to swell at times. For over 1000 years, the Khasi have developed techniques to direct the aerial roots of older rubber trees and grow them along hollowed trunks of the betel nut palm towards the opposite side. When the roots have reached their destination, the carrier trunks are removed and the roots grow together in the soil. Over time, further root growth leads to the construction of a durable, resilient bridge, which is supplemented and stabilized with other wood, stone and earth materials. The rubber trees were and will be planted and cared for in suitable places with foresight. A living bridge can last for centuries if it is regularly maintained and repaired.

Bridges are also being constructed from the roots of the banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) , for example the Umnnoi Bridge near the village of Laitkynsew in Meghalaya.

Wildlife

Wandering ants form short-term bridges by lining up and chaining their bodies to overcome gaps such as rivulets or small streams or between stones or branches .

literature

  • Henry Yule: Notes on the Khasia Hills, and People. In: Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Volume 14, Part 2, Issue 152, July – December 1844, pp. 612–631 (English; begins with descriptions of Khasi root bridges; online at biodiversitylibrary.org ).
  • Wildlife Institute of India (WII): The Meghalaya State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (Draft). Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, Version of March 6, 2017, pp. 99–101: 3.8: Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya (English; Biodiversity Plan; PDF: 15.4 MB, 350 pages, some without page numbers on megbiodiversity.nic.in).

Web links

Commons : Living bridges  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Ferdinand Ludwig : Living Buildings. In: ar.tum.de. Research area building botany, University of Stuttgart, undated, accessed on July 26, 2020.
  2. ↑ Photo series: Living Root Bridges. In: rootbridges.blogspot.com. July 22, 2020, accessed on July 26, 2020.
  3. ↑ Info: Living Root Bridges. In: India9.com. October 21, 2005, accessed July 26, 2020.
  4. ↑ Beate Ettrich (photo): Ant bridge. In: Ettrich.at. Undated, accessed July 26, 2020.